Paralympics Ireland has revealed that swimmer Deaten Registe was subjected to online racism during the Games in Paris.
A social media post by Paralympics Ireland highlighting the 20-year-old’s participation in the Games received several replies of a strong racist nature.
Registe competes in Para sports in the intellectual impairment category. The Dungannon man came fourth in his heat at the La Défense Arena on Monday and sixth in the final later that same day.
Irish sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke received racist abuse in recent months and Registe was targeted during the Paralympics last week.
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“It happened in the Olympic cycle with some athletes and it has happened now with Deaten,” said Stephen McNamara, chief executive of Paralympics Ireland.
“I think the reality is, and I think Irish people would support this, is that we want those athletes, they represent us, we don’t want these keyboard warriors, they don’t represent us.
“I think Ireland is having a really difficult time at the moment in relation to that and I think it is happening all across Europe as well in terms of the voices that are coming through social media, and I think social media companies should do more.
“I think that when an athlete at a Paralympic Games just happens to have a different skin tone and becomes a target of their ire, it is just not acceptable.”
Registe is a relative newcomer to the Irish Para swim team and his first major international appearance was in the European Championships in Madeira at the end of April, during which he finished fourth in the 100m breaststroke final.
Registe was not aware of the social media messages before his swim in Paris, as a decision was taken not to distract him ahead of competing at what was his maiden Paralympic Games.
“From our point of view we have a duty of care to the athletes, we didn’t discuss it with the athlete at the time,” explained McNamara.
“These things self-correct a lot on social media, you’ll have one person saying one negative thing and 10 or 100 people coming in supporting the athlete.
“Obviously through the duty of care we have spoken to the athlete and the athlete’s family and we don’t want that to happen again.
“Ultimately we can’t guarantee it won’t happen again but what we have seen across the whole Games is such a huge swell of support for all of our athletes.”
Team Ireland return to Dublin on Monday having won six medals at the Paralympic Games in Paris.
